McMorrow Talks Childcare Solutions with Early Childhood Educators and Parents

MICHIGAN – Today, Michigan Senate Majority Whip and candidate for U.S. Senate Mallory McMorrow invited input from a group of parents, advocates, and early childhood educators in Grand Rapids on policy solutions to solve the childcare crisis. McMorrow emphasized the imperative to support kids, parents, and families, highlighting successful policies in Michigan, like the Tri-Share childcare program, Rx Kids, and free school meals.

“A lot of women who find themselves in politics…this was not our first choice. It is oftentimes looking around our communities and looking at the decisions that are made, and I think, realizing that policies that benefit families are too often the first thing on the chopping block,” said McMorrow. “And I believe that we all bring our lived experiences into these roles. We will not succeed as a country until we really support our families, and that is a value that I'm not going to let go.”

On the Tri-Share program in the legislature: 

“I have legislation in the state now to codify the Tri-Share program into law permanently. For those who don't know, the Tri-Share program is an innovative, it's a nation-leading program in Michigan, where the costs of child care are split three ways. The state pays a third, the employer pays a third, and the family pays a third, so you get access to child care for a third of the cost that you would be paying otherwise, and it has allowed for more small and medium-sized businesses to partner with local non-profits to provide child care. It's a really great program.” 

On improving our schools: 

“We got to create spaces they want to come to, where they're not going to be sweating, they're not going to be freezing, where it's inspirational, it's exciting to go. That's where we need to start. So I think, really, as I think about the federal level and what the federal government could do here, how can the federal government help every child start at the same starting line? Could we take on the task, for example, of rebuilding all the school buildings in the country to make sure that they all start at this beautiful level?”

On Rx Kids and creative problem-solving:

“Because the proudest opportunity I have as a legislator is when there is a totally new idea that has been brought to me by a constituent, and I get to introduce something new, because we're in this place, in this country, and in this state where these are a challenge, because we've just tried to rehash the same old ideas over and over and over again. RX Kids is so exciting, not because it was developed by a policymaker, because it was developed by a pediatrician who saw the impacts of the Flint water crisis and thought, how do we set babies up for success earlier? And we got this amazing program.” 

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